Jason Kidd Grieves Death of Jason Collins, First Openly Gay NBA Player
Jason Collins has died from stage 4 glioblastoma, the deadliest form of brain cancer, at 47 years old. Collins had publicly disclosed his diagnosis in an ESPN essay, as told to Ramona Shelburne, last December.
Collins’ family confirmed his passing Tuesday evening with a statement issued by the NBA, and NBA commissioner Adam Silver issued his own statement, as read below:
"Jason Collins' impact and influence extended far beyond basketball as he helped make the NBA, WNBA and larger sports community more inclusive and welcoming for future generations. He exemplified outstanding leadership and professionalism throughout his 13-year NBA career and in his dedicated work as an NBA Cares Ambassador. Jason will be remembered not only for breaking barriers, but also for the kindness and humanity that defined his life and touched so many others. On behalf of the NBA, I send my heartfelt condolences to Jason's husband, Brunson, and his family, friends and colleagues across our leagues.”
Collins came out as gay in a Sports Illustrated cover story in April 2013. He had just finished his season as a center on the Washington Wizards at the time. In February 2014, the Brooklyn Netssigned Collins, making him the first openly LGBTQ+ active athlete in a major American sports league. Jason Kidd was the coach of that team - his first year as an NBA head coach - and he joined the outpouring of grief and honoring of Collins on Tuesday night.
“This one hurts,” Kidd, a Hall of Fame point guard and current head coach of the Dallas Mavericks, wrote on X. “Jason Collins was a pioneer. He had courage like you’ve never seen. He was an incredible teammate. And having him in Brooklyn at the start of my coaching journey meant so much. Those who knew him were blessed to call him a friend. You are already missed my brother. Rest in power [heartbroken emoji].”
The then-New Jersey Nets selected Collins out of Stanford in the first round (No. 18 overall) of the 2001 NBA Draft. He and Kidd were teammates on the Nets from 2001 to 2007, reaching and losing back-to-back NBA Finals in 2002 and 2003.
Collins subsequently played for the Memphis Grizzlies, Minnesota Timberwolves, Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics, and Wizards before rejoining the Nets to finish his career in 2014. He officially retired in November 2014.
The San Antonio Spurs held a moment of silence for Collins and 29-year-old Grizzlies forward Brandon Clarke, who was found dead in Los Angeles on Monday, before their Game 5 win over the Timberwolves on Tuesday night.
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This story was originally published May 12, 2026 at 8:03 PM.